Machine for laying protecting paper over plants



April 27, 1937. PFElFFER 2,078,872

MACHINE F R' LAYING PROTECTING PAPER OVER PLANTS Filed July 30, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEYS WITNESS April 27, 1937. Q A, PFElFFER 2,078,872

MACHINE FOR LAYING PROTECTING PAPER OVER PLANTS Filed July 30, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESS l ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 27, 1937 PATENT OFFICE MACHINE FOR LAYING PROTECTING PAPER 'ovnn PLANTS Alfred Pfeiffer, San Antonio, Tex. Application July 30, 1936, Serial No. 93,516 5 Claims. (01. 47- 9) This invention relates to machines for laying protecting paper over plants and has for an object to provide a two wheel carrierfor a roll of paper and a novel chute which shapes the paper in an arch over the row of tenderplants leaving flat flanges of paper on opposite sides of the arch to be covered with soil by discs disposed near the rear at the end of the chute, the weight of the soil thrown on to the flanges by the discs serving to draw the paper from the roll as the wheel carrier is advanced along the row of plants, the weight of the soil on the paper also making it impossible for the wind to blow off the paper.

A further object is to provide a machine of.

this character which will 'quickly and expeditiously lay an arched paper cover over rows of plants to protect the same from the weather and early frosts, the device being formed of a few strong simple and durable parts, inexpensive to manufacture, and being adjustable to meet various conditions of servicef With the above and other objects in view the invention, consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood that various modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims,

Without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a plan view of the paper laying machine constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a cross'sectional view of the fiat intake end of the chute taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view of the arched outlet end of the chute taken on the line 3-3 ofFigure 1.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the chute.

Referring now to the drawings in which like characters of reference designate similar parts in the various views, it) designates an arched axle having spindles ll uponwhich supporting wheels I 2 are mounted, there being spacing washers It on the spindles which may be removed from the outer ends of the spindles selectively and are each provided with a series of-openings l9 which interchangeably receive bolts 26 which adjustably secure longitudinal tubular rods 2! that support the paper roll 22 and the chute 23 comprising the subject matter of this invention. The rods 2| maybe adjusted toward or away from each other by inserting the bolts 20 in selected ones of the openings I9. The roll of paper 22 is mounted in front of the axle It by means of gudgeons M which enter the ends of the roll and terminate in upstanding lugs 25 which are clamped against studs 26 on the longitudinal supporting rods 2|. by U-bolts 21'.

The chute 23 preferably comprises a pair of superposed sheet metal plates 28 and 29 providing a space between them for guiding the paper from the roll to the rear ends of the supporting rods 2|. The forward ends of both plates are substantially flat as shown best in Figure 2, while the rear ends are arched upwardly, as shown best in Figure 3, the width of the arch gradually increasing and the height of the arch gradually diminishing from the rear ends of the plates toward the forward ends of the plates, as best shown in Figure 4, to provide substantially. triangular flanges 3!] and 3| having their widest ends toward the rear ends of the plates. The chute constructed as just described receives the sheet of paper 32 from the roll and as the paper passes between the plates 28 and 29 it is shaped to provide an arch 33 and lateral flat flanges 34, upon which latter earth is thrown by discs 35 carried by the rear ends of the supporting rods 2i to anchor the arched paper protector over a row of plants as the machine is advanced, the weight of the earth drawing the paper from the roll 22 and at the same time anchoring the paper securely in place so as not to be blown from the plants by the wind.

The forward end of the chute is supported by a substantially U-shaped hanger 36, the upright legs of which are bolted as shown at 31 to the longitudinal supporting rods 28. The bottom transverse member of the hanger is bolted as shown at 38 to the lower plate 29.

A pair of L-shaped hangers 39 suspend the arched rear end of the plate from the support-- ing rods 2|, as'best shown in Figure 3, these hangers having outwardly directed upper ends Ml which are provided with eyes 4! which receive, and which are bolted to, the supporting rods 2!, as shown at 42. A transverse brace rod 39' connects the hangers 39 and prevents these hangers from spreading apart.

The upper plate 28 is provided on the longitudinal edges with metal strips 43 and 44 which reinforce the plate and provide a thickened edge to engage upturned flanges 45 formed on the longitudinal edges of the lower plate. The lower 5 strips 44 form spacers to space the upper plate from the lower plate. It will be noted that the upper plate 28 is hinged at one side to the lower plate as shown at 45 and may be rocked open to start the initial end of the paper sheet 24 through the chute.

In operation the sheet 32 is withdrawn from the paper roll 22 and shaped over the bottom plate 29 whereupon the top plate 28 may be placed in position. Some earth may be thrown on the lateral flanges 34 to anchor the end of the sheet to the ground. The machine may now be advanced over the row of plants to be protected whereupon the discs 35 throw the earth upon the flanges 34, the weight of the soil on the paper serving to draw the paper out from the roll as the machine moves forward. At the end of the row the paper may be severed and a new row started.

To facilitate turning the machine at the end of a row and during transportation of the machine to and from the field, the chute 23 and discs 35 are rocked upwardly by means of a handle lever, not shown, engaged in a clamp 46 on either of the supporting rods 2|, and accessible from the operators seat 41, the sleeves I8 swiveling on the front frame bar l4 to effect such movement of the parts.

From the above description it is thought that the construction and operation of the invention will be fully understood without further explanation.

What is claimed is:

1. A machine for laying protecting paper over plants, comprising a wheeled carrier, a paper supply thereon, and a chute receiving a web of the paper from the supply and having an arched portion for shaping the paper in an arch over the row of plants to be protected.

2. A machine for laying protecting paper over plants, comprising a wheeled carrier, a paper supply on the carrier, a chute on the carrier in rear of the paper supply receiving a web of the paper from the supply and having an arched portion which shapes the paper in an arch over the row of plants to be protected, and discs on the carrier in rear of the chute for covering the edges of the paper arch with soil to anchor the paper in place.

3. A machine for laying protecting paper over plants, comprising a wheeled carrier, a roll of paper supported on the carrier, a chute suspended from the carrier in rear of the roll of paper and receiving the paper web from the roll, said chute having a straight forward portion and an arched rearward portion, the arched portion gradually diminishing in height and gradually decreasing in width from the rear of the chute to the front of the chute whereby side flanges are provided for forming paper flanges at the bottom of the arched paper web as the web is drawn from the roll rearwardly through the chute, and discs on the carrier adapted to throw soil on said paper flanges.

4. A machine for laying protecting paper over plants comprising a wheeled carrier, a roll of paper thereon, and a chute thereon in rear of the roll of paper comprising upper and lower plates receiving a web of the paper between them from the roll, said plates being deformed upwardly in arched contour to shape the paper in the form of an arch over the row of plants to be protected as the machine advances, one of said plates being hinged to permit insertion of the initial end of the web.

5. A machine for laying protecting paper over plants, comprising a wheeled carrier, longitudinal supporting rods adjustably secured to the carrier for adjustment toward or away from each other, a roll of paper supported by said rods, a chute supported by said rods in rear of the roll of paper, discs supported by said rods in rear of the chute, said chute having a straight forward portion receiving the web of paper from the roll of paper, said chute having a rear arched portion shaping said web in the form of an arch over the plants to be protected, said rear portion of the chute having lateral straight substantially triangular portions forming guide flanges for shaping the sides of the arched web to provide lateral paper flanges, said discs being adapted to throw the soil on said paper flanges during advance of the machine to anchor the protecting paper over a row of plants, and means for adjusting the distance between the wheels of the wheeled carrier to adapt the device for different conditions of service.

ALFRED PFEIFFER. 

